Slane
is such an impressive, important and influential site that it
defies a simple description. Steeped in myth and history, the
hill towers 158 metres (521ft) above the surrounding landscape
and has breathtaking views of the countryside.

From
this beautiful hill, a vast prospect of Ireland is afforded on
a clear day. Eastwards can easily be seen the mounds of Newgrange
and Knowth, with the town of
Drogheda and
the Irish Sea beyond, while the view northwards extends as far
as Slieve Gullion (well into Northern Ireland), southwards as
far as the Sugarloaf Mountain in Wicklow, and westwards to the
midlands of Ireland.

The
importance of the Hill of Slane can be traced back into prehistory,
probably as far as the Neolithic. In ancient Dindshenchas
mythology, the Fir Bolg king Sláine was said to have been
buried here. In Christian history the hill became established
as the place where St. Patrick lit the first paschal fire in direct
defiance of the pagan kings at nearby Tara.
However, archaeologists have suggested the Paschal
Fire may have been lit at Brú
na Bóinne, and possibly Knowth,
instead of Slane.

The
hill
remained an eminence of Christian significance long after St.
Patrick appointed Erc as the first Bishop there - a monastery
survived on the Hill of Slane even after successive raids
by the Vikings. It is still a mecca for pilgrims to this day.

There
are other, less known facts, which make Slane a mystical and fascinating
place. The 'motte' which stands on the western side of the hill,
shielded from view by a wood of trees, is said to be of Norman
origin, but is probably the burial mound of Sláine, the Fir Bolg
King, who according to legend
was the one who cleared the wood from the Brugh when the mounds
of Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth were built. The mound also has
interesting alignments with other ancient
sites, and in mythology may have an astronomical significance.

Slane
was also supposed to have been the location of a mythical healing
well, which was used by the Tuatha Dé Danann to heal their
wounds during battle.

Another
intriguing story about Slane concerns a certain Dagobert II, heir
to the throne of a Merovingian kingdom called Austrasie (in France),
who was exiled to Ireland after his father's death in 656. Dagobert
is said to have grown into a man 'at the Monastery of Slane',
and attended the court of the High King of Tara. While in Ireland,
he married a Celtic princess. He eventually returned to Austrasie
and claimed the kingship in 674, some 18 years after his original
exile to Slane.

Croagh Patrick in County Mayo. Click image for larger view.

Slane sits on an extraordinary 135-mile equinox alignment stretching from Millmount in the east as far as Croagh Patrick in the west, passing through the town of Kells and the impressive monument complex at Cruachan Ai. We call this Saint Patrick's "Equinox Journey". The near-equinox alignment involves watching the sunset around March 23rd from Millmount, overlooking the Boyne in Drogheda. This sunset falls behind the Hill of Slane. n observer looking at this equinoctial sunset is unwittingly looking also in the direction of Croagh Patrick in County Mayo. Thus, two sites closely associated with Saint Patrick are in a near-equinox alignment. By coincidence, Mythical Ireland webmaster Anthony Murphy's birthday is March 23rd!